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Which was to hire a more delit；
To kepe hire maidenhede whit
Under the wede of fethers blake；
In Perles whyte than forsake 6210
That no lif mai restore ayein。
Bot thus Neptune his herte in vein
Hath upon Robberie sett；
The bridd is flowe and he was let；
The faire Maide him hath ascaped；
Wherof for evere he was bejaped
And scorned of that he hath lore。
Mi Sone； be thou war therfore
That thou no maidenhode stele；
Wherof men sen deseses fele 6220
Aldai befalle in sondri wise；
So as I schal thee yit devise
An other tale therupon；
Which fell be olde daies gon。
King Lichaon upon his wif
A dowhter hadde； a goodly lif；
A clene Maide of worthi fame；
Calistona whos rihte name
Was cleped； and of many a lord
Sche was besoght； bot hire acord 6230
To love myhte noman winne；
As sche which hath no lust therinne；
Bot swor withinne hir herte and saide
That sche wolde evere ben a Maide。
Wherof to kepe hireself in pes；
With suche as Amadriades
Were cleped； wodemaydes； tho；
And with the Nimphes ek also
Upon the spring of freisshe welles
Sche schop to duelle and nagher elles。 6240
And thus cam this Calistona
Into the wode of Tegea；
Wher sche virginite behihte
Unto Diane； and therto plihte
Her trouthe upon the bowes grene；
To kepe hir maidenhode clene。
Which afterward upon a day
Was priveliche stole away；
For Jupiter thurgh his queintise
From hire it tok in such a wise； 6250
That sodeinliche forth withal
Hire wombe aros and sche toswal；
So that it mihte noght ben hidd。
And therupon it is betidd；
Diane； which it herde telle；
In prive place unto a welle
With Nimphes al a compainie
Was come； and in a ragerie
Sche seide that sche bathe wolde；
And bad that every maide scholde 6260
With hire al naked bathe also。
And tho began the prive wo；
Calistona wax red for schame；
Bot thei that knewe noght the game；
To whom no such thing was befalle；
Anon thei made hem naked alle；
As thei that nothing wolden hyde：
Bot sche withdrouh hire evere asyde；
And natheles into the flod；
Wher that Diane hirselve stod； 6270
Sche thoghte come unaperceived。
Bot therof sche was al deceived；
For whan sche cam a litel nyh；
And that Diane hire wombe syh；
Sche seide； 〃Awey； thou foule beste；
For thin astat is noght honeste
This chaste water forto touche；
For thou hast take such a touche；
Which nevere mai ben hol ayein。〃
And thus goth sche which was forlein 6280
With schame； and fro the Nimphes fledde；
Til whanne that nature hire spedde；
That of a Sone； which Archas
Was named； sche delivered was。
And tho Juno； which was the wif
Of Jupiter； wroth and hastif；
In pourpos forto do vengance
Cam forth upon this ilke chance；
And to Calistona sche spak；
And sette upon hir many a lak； 6290
And seide； 〃Ha； nou thou art atake；
That thou thi werk myht noght forsake。
Ha； thou ungoodlich ypocrite；
Hou thou art gretly forto wyte！
Bot nou thou schalt ful sore abie
That ilke stelthe and micherie；
Which thou hast bothe take and do；
Wherof thi fader Lichao
Schal noght be glad； whan he it wot；
Of that his dowhter was so hot； 6300
That sche hath broke hire chaste avou。
Bot I thee schal chastise nou；
Thi grete beaute schal be torned；
Thurgh which that thou hast be mistorned；
Thi large frount； thin yhen greie；
I schal hem change in other weie；
And al the feture of thi face
In such a wise I schal deface；
That every man thee schal forbere。〃
With that the liknesse of a bere 6310
Sche tok and was forschape anon。
Withinne a time and therupon
Befell that with a bowe on honde；
To hunte and gamen forto fonde；
Into that wode goth to pleie
Hir Sone Archas； and in his weie
It hapneth that this bere cam。
And whan that sche good hiede nam；
Wher that he stod under the bowh；
Sche kneu him wel and to him drouh； 6320
For thogh sche hadde hire forme lore；
The love was noght lost therfore
Which kinde hath set under his lawe。
Whan sche under the wodesschawe
Hire child behield； sche was so glad；
That sche with bothe hire armes sprad；
As thogh sche were in wommanhiede；
Toward him cam； and tok non hiede
Of that he bar a bowe bent。
And he with that an Arwe hath hent 6330
And gan to teise it in his bowe；
As he that can non other knowe；
Bot that it was a beste wylde。
Bot Jupiter； which wolde schylde
The Moder and the Sone also；
Ordeineth for hem bothe so；
That thei for evere were save。
Bot thus； mi Sone； thou myht have
Ensample； hou that it is to fle
To robbe the virginite 6340
Of a yong innocent aweie：
And overthis be other weie；
In olde bokes as I rede；
Such Robberie is forto drede；
And nameliche of thilke good
Which every womman that is good
Desireth forto kepe and holde；
As whilom was be daies olde。
For if thou se mi tale wel
Of that was tho； thou miht somdiel 6350
Of old ensample taken hiede；
Hou that the flour of maidenhiede
Was thilke time holde in pris。
And so it was； and so it is；
And so it schal for evere stonde：
And for thou schalt it understonde；
Nou herkne a tale next suiende；
Hou maidenhod is to commende。
Of Rome among the gestes olde
I finde hou that Valerie tolde 6360
That what man tho was Emperour
Of Rome； he scholde don honour
To the virgine； and in the weie；
Wher he hire mette； he scholde obeie
In worschipe of virginite；
Which tho was of gret dignite。
Noght onliche of the wommen tho；
Bot of the chaste men also
It was commended overal：
And forto speke in special 6370
Touchende of men； ensample I finde；
Phyryns； which was of mannes kinde
Above alle othre the faireste
Of Rome and ek the comelieste；
That wel was hire which him mihte
Beholde and have of him a sihte。
Thus was he tempted ofte sore；
Bot for he wolde be nomore
Among the wommen so coveited；
The beaute of his face streited 6380
He hath； and threste out bothe hise yhen；
That alle wommen whiche him syhen
Thanne afterward； of him ne roghte：
And thus his maidehiede he boghte。
So mai I prove wel forthi；
Above alle othre under the Sky；
Who that the vertus wolde peise；
Virginite is forto preise；
Which； as thapocalips recordeth；
To Crist in hevene best acordeth。 6390
So mai it schewe wel therfore；
As I have told it hier tofore；
In hevene and ek in Erthe also
It is accept to bothe tuo。
And if I schal more over this
Declare what this vertu is；
I finde write upon this thing
Of Valentinian the king
And Emperour be thilke daies；
A worthi knyht at alle assaies； 6400
Hou he withoute Mariage
Was of an hundred wynter Age；
And hadde ben a worthi kniht
Bothe of his lawe and of his myht。
Bot whan men wolde his dedes peise
And his knyhthode of Armes preise；
Of that he dede with his hondes；
Whan he the kinges and the londes
To his subjeccion put under；
Of al that pris hath he no wonder； 6410
For he it sette of non acompte；
And seide al that may noght amonte
Ayeins o point which he hath nome；
That he his fleissh hath overcome：
He was a virgine； as he seide；
On that bataille his pris he leide。
Lo nou； my Sone； avise thee。
Yee； fader； al this wel mai be；
Bot if alle othre dede so；
The world of men were sone go： 6420
And in the lawe a man mai finde；
Hou god to man be weie of kinde
Hath set the world to multeplie；
And who that wol him justefie；
It is ynouh to do the lawe。
And natheles youre goode sawe
Is good to kepe； who so may；
I wol noght therayein seie nay。
Mi Sone； take it as I seie；
If maidenhod be take aweie 6430
Withoute lawes ordinance；
It mai noght failen of vengance。
And if thou wolt the sothe wite；
Behold a tale which is write；
Hou that the King Agamenon；
Whan he the Cite of Lesbon
Hath wonne； a Maiden ther he fond；
Which was the faireste of the Lond
In thilke time that men wiste。
He tok of hire what him liste 6440
Of thing which was most precious；
Wherof that sche was dangerous。
This faire Maiden cleped is
Criseide； douhter of Crisis；
Which was that time in special
Of thilke temple principal；
Wher Phebus hadde his sacrifice；
So was it wel the more vice。
Agamenon was thanne in weie
To Troieward； and tok aweie 6450
This Maiden； which he with him ladde；
So grete a lust in hire he hadde。
Bot Phebus； which hath gret desdeign
Of that his Maiden was forlein；
Anon as he to Troie cam；
Vengance up